Influence your education
Do you want to influence your education? As a student, there are a number of things you can do. You can, for instance, vote in the student union election, join a student or doctoral council, become a student representative or exercise your influence through course evaluations.
Student influence is also an important part of Stockholm University's quality work. For example, the university conducts systematic reviews of all courses and programmes to ensure their quality.
Read more about the university’s quality work
Vote in the student union election
A student union represents the students at Stockholm University. Each spring semester, a union election is held to give members of Stockholm University's Student Union the opportunity to exercise influence over their studies. The union election determines who gets a seat as members of the student union council, which is the student union's highest decision-making body. By voting, the members influence who will lead the union in the coming year and thus which issues the union will raise at the university.
Read more about the student union election
Join a student or PhD student council
Student councils
By joining the student council at your department, you gain influence over your education. The student council consists of students at the same department or section who have organised themselves in order to improve their education. The councils belong to the student union but decide for themselves what to focus on and how they want to work.
Read more about student councils
PhD student councils
PhD student councils at the various departments are open to all interested PhD students. The councils monitor PhD student issues at their own department and elect representatives for the PhD students on the department's board. Through PhD advice, PhD students can influence their education and gain better insight into the university's activities.
Read more about PhD student councils
Contact persons for student influence
At every department, as well as at other levels, there are contact persons for student influence. They act as a link to student councils, PhD student councils and student unions in matters concerning student influence.
Become a student representative
According to the Higher Education Act, there must be student representatives in all preparatory and decision-making bodies and groups that handle questions about the university's courses and programmes or the students' or doctoral students' study situation. For example, students have the right to be represented in the groups that systematically review the university's courses and programmes.
Training for student representatives
Stockholm university's training for student representatives aims to support you in your assignment and your legal right to exert influence over the courses and study programmes. During the training, you will gain knowledge about your rights and responsibilities as a student representative. You will also learn about issues you can influence, what support you can get, the university's organisation and much else useful.
It is aimed at student representatives at departmental level, but is also relevant for representatives at other levels and for staff at the university. The training consists mainly of short films. The films are in Swedish, but subtitled in English and Swedish.
Training for student representatives
Lists of bodies and groups
The file below contains lists per faculty and central level of the permanent (> 1 year) bodies and groups in which students have the right to be represented and the number of "student positions".
Förteckning över grupper/organ med studentrepresentation 2024 (282 Kb)
(document in Swedish)
Read more in the university's rules for student influence
If you have questions about student representation, please contact Stockholm University's Student Union at studentombud@sus.se.
If you are a student at the Department of Computer and Systems Science, please contact the Student Union DISK at studiebevakning@disk.su.se.
if you are a student at Stockholm Business School, please contact Föreningen Ekonomerna (the Business Association at Stockholm University) at studentombud@fest.se.
Influence through course evaluations
Each student has the right to make a course evaluation in connection with completing the course. Course evaluations are an important opportunity for you as a student to influence your education, and also a part of the university's work with the quality of education. Filling out the course evaluation is also a responsibility that students have, so that the university can change things that can be improved. When the teachers have analysed the students' answers, you will receive a course report that contains the teachers' analysis of the answers and suggestions for changes for future courses.
Read more in the university's regulations on course evaluations (section 1.5 in Regulations for education and examination at first-cycle and second-cycle level)
If you have questions about a course evaluation, please contact the responsible teacher.
If you have complaints about your education
As an individual student, you can submit complaints about your education to e.g. the director of studies or head of department at your department.
Read more in the university's procedure for handling complaints
Last updated: January 29, 2025
Source: Office of the President
